


After the Moment

by lost_spook



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Sapphire and Steel
Genre: 500 prompts, Crossover, Elemental Weirdness, Ficlet, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 14:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5094830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/pseuds/lost_spook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone always has to clear up after the grand gestures – and that someone is rarely the Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Moment

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JohnAmendAll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnAmendAll/gifts).



> For John Amend All in the [500 Prompts Meme](http://lost-spook.livejournal.com/300554.html) #197: the moment – Silver/The Moment (S&S/DW).

“You don’t like me,” she says.

“I wouldn’t put it quite that way.”

“He likes a big red button. You don’t?”

Silver ran his fingers along the box’s casing – gently, very gently, both caressing and tremulous. “Not as a rule, no. They tend to be . . . somewhat drastic in effect.”

“He’s not very good at tidying up,” she says. “But you, you are. Are you going to destroy me? Reduce me to atoms. Sparkling specks. Nothingness. Poetic justice. All finished. Assignment completed.” She’s slightly mocking now, if with a note of melancholy.

Silver doesn’t look up from the box: the girl isn’t there, the girl is the box. Silver knows that far too well to be distracted. “Do you think I could?”

There’s a long pause and he can feel her – it – _her_ assessing him, weighing him up. She’s not sure, he thinks and finds that comforting.

“I don’t know. If you tried hard enough, maybe. But you think I’m beautiful, don’t you? Beautiful and terrible. Do you destroy beauty? Can you risk the terror if you don’t?”

“Sometimes,” says Silver. “It all depends. But you are exquisitely made, I’ll say that for you.” He looks up at the girl suddenly, after all. The box – the girl – the Moment – is many things, but this is what she’s chosen to be, and what’s chosen is usually the most significant. “I could,” he offers, “do away with some of your most destructive capabilities. You’re very – ah – adaptive. You might find a new career ahead of you – so to speak. Would you like me to try?”

“It could go wrong. As you say, I’m very adaptive. Programmed to prevent hostile tampering. Counter your moves by carrying out my purpose. Boom!”

Silver smiles. “I don’t think your purpose is that clear, is it? And wouldn’t it be more interesting _not_ to? Only think of the possibilities.” His fingers on the box are more assured now as he traces them over the surface. “Imagine it. You can do that, can’t you? I think you can.”

She does. And, inevitably, so does he.


End file.
